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Rifabutin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of rifabutin include drug interaction, off label use, and nausea, based on 3,271 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 8.4% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Rifabutin side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for rifabutin.

1
Drug Ineffective8.4%276
2
Drug Interaction7.7%252
3
Off Label Use6.5%213
4
Nausea5.0%163
5
Drug Resistance4.8%158
6
Pyrexia4.5%147
7
Mycobacterium Avium Complex Infection4.1%135
8
Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome3.8%125
9
Drug Intolerance3.6%118
10
Product Use In Unapproved Indication3.2%104
11
Vomiting3.1%103
12
Neutropenia3.1%102
13
Fatigue2.9%96
14
Treatment Failure2.9%94
15
Rash2.8%90

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that rifabutin caused these reactions.

Report severity

78.7%Serious2,574 reports
34.8%Hospitalizations1,137 reports
10.6%Fatal348 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Rifabutin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside rifabutin. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Ethambutol-hydrochloride27.9%911
2
Azithromycin16.7%547
3
Clarithromycin14.4%472
4
Amikacin-sulfate11.9%389
5
Moxifloxacin-hydrochloride9.6%313
6
Rifampin8.8%289
7
Isoniazid8.5%278
8
Amoxicillin7.7%253
9
Tenofovir7.3%240
10
Pyrazinamide7.1%233
11
Omeprazole6.8%223
12
Linezolid6.2%202
13
Emtricitabine5.9%192
14
Ritonavir5.5%181
15
Lamivudine4.9%159

Taken alongside

1
Ethambutol-hydrochloride26.3%860
2
Azithromycin13.5%440
3
Clarithromycin9.8%320
4
Isoniazid9.5%311
5
Pyrazinamide7.1%231
6
Moxifloxacin-hydrochloride5.8%190
7
Sulfamethoxazole5.2%170
8
Prednisone5.1%167
9
Amikacin-sulfate5.0%163
10
Tenofovir4.9%159
11
Emtricitabine4.6%150
12
Ritonavir4.6%149
13
Trimethoprim4.5%148
14
Albuterol3.9%129
15
Fluconazole3.9%126

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports rifabutin side effects

43.6% of rifabutin adverse event reports involve female patients and 45.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 66%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female43.6%
Male45.9%
Unknown10.5%

Age group

< 20.4%
2–112.0%
12–173.2%
18–6465.8%
65+28.7%

What is rifabutin used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking rifabutin when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal LymphadenopathyAcute Kidney InjuryAdverse EventAids Related ComplicationAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibiotic TherapyArthritis BacterialAsbestosisAtypical Mycobacterial InfectionAtypical Mycobacterial Lower Respiratory Tract InfectionAtypical Mycobacterial LymphadenitisAtypical Mycobacterial PneumoniaAtypical Mycobacterium PericarditisAtypical Mycobacterium Test Positive

Showing 15 of 242 indications

Rifabutin brand names and reporting trend

Rifabutin is sold under the brand name Talicia.

Brand names

Talicia3,164

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking rifabutin with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.